Author.- "Gabriel Setoun" is the pen-name of Thomas Nicoll Hepburn， headmaster of Milton House Public School， Edinburgh， born in 1861. He has written many books for juveniles and adults， including The Child World and a life of Robert Burns.
General Notes.-The poem given is an enlargement of an old rhyme. What is ivory？ What are shrouds？ What are cutlasses？ Is this a ship that never was？ Why does sunset suggest gold， and pearls， and diamonds？ Make a drawing of the poet"s dream ship.
Lesson 24
GIOTTO， THE SHEPHERD BOy
This is the story of a shepherd boy who lived in the sunny land of Italy six hundred years ago. Now， when a person is not forgotten after so long a time， he must have done something to make his name remembered. And it is because Giotto became a great painter of pictures that his story is often told.
Even when he was quite a little boy he was very fond of drawing， and he drew very well. The work of tending the sheep was not hard， and he had plenty of time to spare. So， instead of being idle， he used to draw on the smooth stones in the fields with a piece of slate.
One day， as he was drawing pictures of his sheep and goats， a stranger came quietly behind him and watched him. Giotto did not know that anyone was near， and kept on with his drawing. It was so well done for a boy who had never been taught that the stranger， who was a great painter， asked him if he would like to be taught how to paint.
Giotto looked so pleased， and answered so eagerly， that the stranger asked the boy"s father if he might take his son away and teach him. The father agreed； and so the clevershepherd boy went with his new friend.
Giotto worked so hard and got on so well that by and by his paintings came to be well known， and rich people were glad to buy them. He used to carve figures in marble， too； and in many of the churches of Italy his work may still be seen.
Giotto was fond of fun， and was very witty. Let me tell you two stories about him. One day， he painted a fly on the nose of a figure his friend was working at. Soon afterwards， his friend came in and saw the fly. Raising his hand， he tried to brush it off； but it was still there. He tried again； and then he saw that it was not a real fly at all. But he knew who had played the joke upon him-only Giotto could have drawn the fly so well.
Here is the second story. The Pope wanted an artist to do some work for him， so he sent a messenger to Giotto. The messenger asked for some work that might be shown to the Pope. Giotto took a piece of paper and a brush full of paint. Then， with one sweep of the brush， he drew a circle that was truly round.
" Here is the drawing，" said he. "But am I to take nothing but this？" asked the messenger， looking as if he thought Giotto was joking. "That is enough. Show it to your master， and tell him how it was done； he will understand，" replied Giotto.
When the Pope looked at it， he knew that only a great painter could have drawn so true a circle in the way the messenger described. So he sent for Giotto to paint some pictures in St. Peter"s， a great church at Rome. Even now， in Italy， when a person wants to say that a thing is quite round， he says， " It is as round as the circle of Giotto."Author.-Unknown.
General Notes.-Giotto (j？t"-tō) di Bondone(b？n-do"-nay) was born at a little village about 14 miles from Florence， about 1266-1276. The man who found him drawing on a smooth stone was Cimabue (che"-mah-boo"- ay)， a Florentine painter. Another shepherd boy became king； who was he？ See which pupil can draw the " roundest" circle on the blackboard.
Lesson 25
TuBAL CAIN
Old Tubal Cain was a man of might In the days when Earth was young；By the fierce red light of his furnace bright，The strokes of his hammer rung； And he lifted high his brawny handOn the iron glowing clear，
Till the sparks rushed out in scarlet showers， As he fashioned the sword and spear；And he sang- " Hurrah for my handiwork！
Hurrah for the spear and sword！
Hurrah for the hand that shall wield them well， For he shall be king and lord！"To Tubal Cain came many a one，
As he wrought by his roaring fire，
And each one prayed for a strong steel blade As the crown of his desire；And he made them weapons sharp and strong Till they shouted loud for glee，And gave him gifts of pearl and gold，
And spoils of the forest free；
And they sang- " Hurrah for Tubal Cain， Who hath given us strength anew！
Hurrah for the smith， hurrah for the fire，
And hurrah for the metal true！"
But a sudden change came o"er his heart
Ere the setting of the sun，
And Tubal Cain was filled with pain
For the evil he had done；
He saw that men， with rage and hate， Made war upon their kind，That the land was red with the blood they shed， In their lust for carnage， blind；And he said- " Alas that ever I made， Or that skill of mine should plan，The spear and the sword for men whose joy Is to slay their fellow man！"And for many a day Old Tubal Cain
Sat brooding o"er his woe；
And his hand forbore to smite the ore， And his furnace smouldered low.
But he rose at last with a cheerful face， And a bright courageous eye，And bared his strong right arm for work，
While the quick flames mounted high.
And he sang-"Hurrah for my handicraft！" And the red sparks lit the air；"Not alone for the blade was the bright steel made；"And he fashioned the first ploughshare.
And men， taught wisdom from the past， In friendship joined their hands，Hung the sword in the hall， the spear on the wall， And ploughed the willing lands；And sang-"Hurrah for Tubal Cain！
Our staunch good friend is he；
And， for the ploughshare and the plough， To him our praise shall be；But while oppression lifts its head， Or a tyrant would be lord，Though we may thank him for the plough，
We"ll not forget the sword ！"
- Charles Mackay
Author.-Charles Mackay (1814-1889)， poet and journalist， son of an artillery officer， was born in Perth， Scotland. Two of his songs- There"s a Good Time Coming and Cheer， Boys， Cheer-had an extraordinary popularity.